New Universe map charts 300,000 more galaxies and could unlock secrets of black holes
- Researchers say a new observation technique studying low frequencies allows astronomers to compare black holes over time to see how they form and develop
The known Universe just got a lot bigger. A new map of the night sky published on Tuesday charts hundreds of thousands of previously unknown galaxies discovered using a telescope that can detect light sources optical instruments cannot see.
The international team behind the unprecedented space survey said their discovery shed new light on some of the Universe’s deepest secrets, including the physics of black holes and how clusters of galaxies evolve.
“This is a new window on the universe,” said Cyril Tasse, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory who was involved in the project. “When we saw the first images we were like: ‘What is this?!’ It didn’t look anything at all like what we are used to seeing.”
More than 200 astronomers from 18 countries were involved in the study, which used radio astronomy to look at a segment of sky over the northern hemisphere, and found 300,000 previously unseen light sources thought to be distant galaxies.
Radio astronomy allows scientists to detect radiation produced when massive celestial objects interact.